Cows and Effect Podcast By Paul Allison and Michael Blanche cover art

Cows and Effect

Cows and Effect

By: Paul Allison and Michael Blanche
Listen for free

Welcome to this occasionally mildly interesting farming podcast (it's a science podcast), hosted by award winning podcaster Michael Blanche (200m swimming badge 1978) and not-yet-not-a-real-doctor Paul Allison. We talk about recent research into soil, pasture, cows and sheep. People say that it's the podcast they didn't know they wanted or needed, and they definitely didn't ask for it. It's sometimes a bit sweary (not the big one). It's fine. Cows and effect sounds like cause and effect. It's a play on words. That's funny stuff. Warning: Following legal advice the listener should be aware that the views and information shared in this podcast do not constitute professional advice or even unprofessional guidance. For God's sake consult someone who knows what they are talking about before making any changes to your farm management practices. Logo image created in https://BioRender.com2025 Natural History Nature & Ecology Science
Episodes
  • Episode 10. Winnie-the-Pooh, the c**tosphere, and a big box of explosives on the other parachute.

    Episode 10. Winnie-the-Pooh, the c**tosphere, and a big box of explosives on the other parachute.
    Mar 24 2026

    Sorry about this one listener. Calving's started, Paul's been busy with "contract work" and we just didn't get the work done to put out a proper episode with research papers and all that. We did our best and had a good old chat. Think of it this way, it's probably not as bad as the "difficult fifth episode" and it's still free to air.

    We promise we'll do better next month.

    The next two episodes will be about grazing and particularly Regen style grazing. Then we'll have two ask-the-scientist episodes; including Dr Shackleton (is she a-relation or no-relation?), Professor Metin Erin (we love him, he's our new best friend) and a genuine, internationally renowned, titan-in-his-field, physicist who will address the question that is on everyone's lips; does the Heisenberg joke work or not? So don't forget to send in your questions. It's cowsandeffectpodcast@gmail.com . Join the many thousands of listeners that have already contacted us via electronic mail on the interweb.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Episode 9. Mr Tickle, a cloud of low energy photons and Tom Cruise is going to come round and punch you.

    Episode 9. Mr Tickle, a cloud of low energy photons and Tom Cruise is going to come round and punch you.
    Feb 26 2026

    Howdy, yee-haw and yippee-ki-yay buckaroos. Get your ears on, because we're headed west of the Pecos for the rootin' tootin' episode 3. of Lab Rat Jazz Club, where things are fixing to get plumb loco down in the lab. Hot-diggerty-dawg. As usual, there's the odd cuss word, but not the big one.

    Here's the link to the paper, but listen first and read after. Link to Dr Eren's fine research paper. Here is a link to the Supplementary Data, which has all the photographs in it. It's true, they actually did it.

    Email questions, comments, suggestions and Michael Blanche fan mail to cowsandeffectpodcast@gmail.com. You should probably open with; "Dear Michael, loving the show; oh my goodness, you are so fab (etc, etc.)"

    We really can't be arsed with the admin for social media or fending off all the inevitable and well deserved online abuse, so help us out listener. In the unlikely event that you 1. enjoy the podcast and 2. don't mind people finding out that you enjoy the podcast; then tell your friends. You know the drill by now; "Have you heard about Cows and Effect? It's a farming podcast with the charming, handsome and and brilliant Michael Blanche. You know, the guy from The Pasture Pod and that time thing. He's amazing. I love him. There's another one, but I've forgotten his name. It doesn't matter; did I say it's got Michael Blanche in it?"

    Somehow, we keep coming back to polar explorers and we finally got around to Scott. Links to short films about Scott's last expedition.

    Geordie of the Antarctic

    Scott's equipment list
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 40 mins
  • Episode 8. A pirate, a confidence player and everyone's right; animals are complicated.

    Episode 8. A pirate, a confidence player and everyone's right; animals are complicated.
    Jan 28 2026
    Happy New Year listener. Eight episodes in (hard to believe for many reasons) and it's a bit different this month. There's absolutely no big swears; there's a few mediums, but not the big one. And also because we talk about lots of research papers addressing two subjects; small cows and short tails in sheep. Listeners to Michael's "exceptional value" Pasture Pod Patreon channel will have heard about these slightly niche topics before. Do smaller cows cause less damage to soil in pastures than heavier cows? Are the intakes of cows proportional to their weight? If you breed for short tails in sheep, will you impact lamb weights and spine lengths? These are the questions that keep Michael awake at night. We have an email address listener. It's cowsandeffectpodcast@gmail.com Please email your questions for the authors of the papers that we have discussed. Subject to the restraining orders, we'll try to get them lined up for Episode 12. Feel free to email in with any other questions or suggestions. Please start your emails with this phrase, "Dear Michael, loving the show. You are my favourite. It's only a shame that the other one keeps interupting you. You're the best. I love you. Oh my goodness, you're so handsome." Michael doesn't read the show notes so it will be a lovely surprise for him and make everybody else's life that bit easier. See the Episode 7. shownotes for how to get in touch with Karin. The three papers on the ground effects of heavy vs light cows Fraser, M.D. and Vale, J.E., 2014. Breed type differences in hoof volume in beef suckler cows. The Future of European Grasslands, p.362. https://www.europeangrassland.org/fileadmin/documents/Infos/Printed_Matter/Proceedings/EGF2014.pdf#page=819 Negrón, M., López, I. and Dörner, J., 2019. Consequences of intensive grazing by dairy cows of contrasting live weights on volcanic ash topsoil structure and pasture dynamics. Soil and Tillage Research, 189, pp.88-97. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167198718305415?casa_token=A1nd7b22ygcAAAAA:CSyGKxQKsQlj03n9X4Ru4VMqmcvqvFXMjrMcrrhhtj9bdDXsiDM5zNFYZVbkSetlf4Dgy_cJ Tuohy, P., Fenton, O., Holden, N.M. and Humphreys, J., 2015. The effects of treading by two breeds of dairy cow with different live weights on soil physical properties, poaching damage and herbage production on a poorly drained clay-loam soil. The Journal of Agricultural Science, 153(8), pp.1424-1436.https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-agricultural-science/article/effects-of-treading-by-two-breeds-of-dairy-cow-with-different-live-weights-on-soil-physical-properties-poaching-damage-and-herbage-production-on-a-poorly-drained-clayloam-soil/4B005421D226B9499038330C38C4C082 Two books and a couple of papers on how much cows eat. The AFRC book Alderman, G. and Cottrill, B.R., 1996. Energy and protein requirements of ruminants. The review paper that says that the AFRC books under estimates beef cow intakes and needs revisions. Cabezas-Garcia, E.H., Lowe, D. and Lively, F., 2021. Energy requirements of beef cattle: Current energy systems and factors influencing energy requirements for maintenance. Animals, 11(6), p.1642.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/6/1642 The paper from french France that says that Paul's cows are the best. Sepchat, B., D'hour, P. and Agabriel, J., 2017. Production laitière des vaches allaitantes: caractérisation et étude des principaux facteurs de variation. INRAE Productions Animales, 30(2), pp.139-152. https://productions-animales.org/article/view/2240/4630 The INRA book. Noziere, P., Sauvant, D. and Delaby, L., 2018. INRA feeding system for ruminants (pp. 640-p). Wageningen Academic Publishers. Order it from your local independent book seller or; Amazon link Moving on to short tails in sheep. The webinar that started it all for Michael. Low Input Sheep Progeny Test: Virtual Field Day Hannah's paper. Hummelchen, H., Wagner, H., Brügemann, K., König, S. and Wehrend, A., 2025. Effects of Breeding for Short‐Tailedness in Sheep on Parameters of Reproduction and Lamb Development. Veterinary Medicine and Science, 11(1), p.e70138. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/vms3.70138 Scobie, D.R., O'Connell, D., Morris, C.A. and Hickey, S.M., 2007. A preliminary genetic analysis of breech and tail traits with the aim of improving the welfare of sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 58(2), pp.161-167. https://connectsci.au/cp/article-abstract/58/2/161/128623/A-preliminary-genetic-analysis-of-breech-and-tail?redirectedFrom=fulltext The South African one. Teubes, M., Cloete, S.W.P., Dzama, K. and Scholtz, A.J., 2023. Is there sufficient genetic variation to breed Elsenburg Merino sheep with shorter tails?. Animal Production Science, 63(11), pp.1043-1051. https://connectsci.au/an/article-abstract/63/11/1043/20642/Is-there-sufficient-genetic-variation-to-breed?redirectedFrom=fulltext A big sample size in this one; 57,760 lambs. Hodge, M.J., Brown, D.J. and Walkom...
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 32 mins
No reviews yet